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FERRARIO FIVE – WEEK 2
A five game losing streak is the polar opposite of what we expected after the start to the season for the Blues. They’ve allowed 18 goals in their last 3 games and have only scored 3 in the 3rd period in this losing skid.
WHAT CHANGED FOR THIS DEFENSE
It’s now a little over a week removed from, what I thought was, their best overall performance in the 2-0 shut-out against the Oilers. Since then, the Blues have allowed 24 goals and some clear breakdowns in their own zone. The turnovers have reared their ugly head again but it also has resulted in missed coverages in front of their net. The first four goals that were scored from LA were easy tip ins with forwards parked right next to the net. The Faulk and Krug pairing are a combined -17 in their last 5 games, despite them starting 59% in the offensive zone this season.
DO THE BLUES HAVE A 3RD LINE
I came into this season believing this team had a deeper pool of forwards than they have had in the past few years. That has been proven incorrect, at least, early on in the season. Barbashev, Neighbours, Leivo & Brown have combined for 2 goals (that all came in the first game of the season). Schenn has been the most productive player that started the year on that line but has since been shipped to the top 6. Leivo has been designated to the minors and the other three have been sitting on the bench for a majority of the 3rd. A major challenge for this squad comes when the Blues have to shorten their bench to three lines. If they want to have success this season, one of these depth options will need to take the reins.
GOALTENDING IS STILL LOCKED IN
The numbers do not back up what I am saying with this take in the early portion of the season but if you were to go back through, this has been the strong suit of the team. Binnington got yanked for the first time this season against the Kings but not due to performance. Even in the Canadiens loss he’s been left hanging to defend high-danger scoring chances with no defense in sight. If there is one thing the Blues can hang their hat on in the early portion of the season it’s knowing their netminder can clean up the turnover mistakes and provide them confidence to play the style they choose.
THE PP IS MISSING THAT ONE SPECIAL PIECE
Some of this can be personnel with missing Buchnevich for a few games and Saad still being out of the line-up but the PP is missing that one-time shot. Now, they still have performed admirably early on (with the exception of the 0-4 night vs Kings) but it’s pretty noticeable how predictable the PP is. Tarasenko, Thomas and Schenn have been flanked as the one-time shot on the first unity but only Schenn has had success scoring with it. The unit is set-up for quick passes to get the goalie moving laterally but the time it takes for certain guys to get the puck set and then release, the goalie is already in position. They will have to find a way to utilize the talent on the ice to keep special teams guessing without the lethal one-timer they are used to having.
IS THERE AN IDENTITY CRISIS
This was an interesting conversation brought up on our postgame by Joe Vitale if the Blues are searching for their identity. He mentioned the transition to this team being on the shoulders of Thomas and Kyrou but until that time the team has to decide what direction they want to play. The hard-nosed forecheck that has been set by Schenn, O’Reilly and Barbashev or the run-and-gun style of Thomas, Kyrou and Buchnevich. They have the speed and they have the skill but that style leads to odd-man rushes the other direction and provides little wiggle room for mistakes in their own zone. The Kings coach, Todd McClellan, had the ultimate quote challenging his team asking, “I would think the experiment of run and gun that we’re trying to play, how much more evidence do we need that it doesn’t work”. If there is an identity crisis it’s one of two paths, buy-in to the system that has proven success or switch up the scheme that benefits the speed on this roster.
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